


Vesper Potter's Family Reunion

by Darkenrose



Series: Vesper Potter [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 3rd book, F/M, Family, Friendship, Hogwarts, Magic, Prisoner of Azkaban, Sister - Freeform, The Golden Trio, Werewolf, Witches, Wizard, wand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2016-08-26
Packaged: 2018-08-11 01:45:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7870735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkenrose/pseuds/Darkenrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life as Harry Potter's sister is hard. School, hormones, magic, boys and a little brother who is destined to face You Know Who.<br/>An escaped prisoner is after her brother and her Godfather is teaching at Hogwarts. Vesper's not sure which is worst.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. From Dementors to Boys

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter.

 

Vesper Potter gasped in surprise as four strong, very familiar arms wrapped around her and lifted her off the ground. She laughs and wiggled between the two bodies of her best friends as they hugged her closer.

"OK boys you can put me down now." She laughed as they put her down. Vesper looked up now to the faces of her best friends, who where more like brothers to her. Their orange coloured hair was one thing the three of them had in common along with their mischief making. The twins had grown tall over the summer, now at least a head taller than her, baby fat had turned into muscle or had gone completely, the mischievous glint in their identical eyes twinkled brightly. The trio had only seen each other a few weeks ago before the twins had gone with their family to Egypt visiting one of their many brothers in the burning heat. The trio was to start there fifth year at Hogwarts this year and the three felt they were closer then ever knowing that there only had three full years to cause as much mayhem as possible. Although they had spent many years, even before they had started school, learning how to make each other laugh and cause as much mayhem as possible before they had to "grow up" which to the three of them sounded dreadfully boring.

"Well you certainly grown" muttered Fred Weasley pointing looking at her chest, a playful smirk on his face, mirrored by his twin George who added an eyebrow wiggle. Vesper too it seemed had a growth spurt while parted from the boys. Although she had grown maybe a an inch or two in height, the fact that her hips and breasts, which were before slowly growing and showed only a slight hint of what womanly figure she would have in her school uniform had indeed suffered the same boost of hormones the rest of her had. Her breast were now a good handful bigger and curved to a slim waist before filling out to hips and a backside that required a second look. Puberty had punched hard, clearly the years before it had bided it's time only hinting at the final blow.

"Oh shut up." She smiled lightly punching both twins' shoulders. She looked around the small dimly lite pub, know as the Leaky Cauldron. Vesper smiled and waved at Mr and Mrs Weasley, who were clearly playfully bickering around the one table in the room that wasn't pushed into shadows. The pair smiled and waved back happily, Mrs Weasley making it clear that Vesper and her godfather must stop by the Weasley home for dinner, tea and possibly supper. The Weasley home was Vespers one true home, she had basically grown up in that house with the Weasley's from the age of eight. As she grew older she spent more time there by choice then by necessary.

Her godfather was not a well man and Vesper became aware from a young age that every month he would need to go away for a few days, she had figured out why the summer before she started Hogwarts.

 

\--//--//--//--//--

  
_She had spent weeks pouring over her newer books, soaking up the information like a sponge in water, only sleeping when she couldn't physically stay awake much longer or as she suspected, when her godfather knocked her out with a flick of his wand. She remembers being too scared to confront him until the morning of September 1st before she was due at the Weasley to travel to London together. She had hugged him firmly around his waist after look at him with big blue eyes he had often said belonged to her father, before speaking half muffled into his stomach, knowing he would only reprimand her for muttering._

_" I've worked out why you get sick." The 11 year old Vesper said._

_"And whys that?" His tone was that of an amused parent. She didn't want to say it out loud for fear he would hate her and make her stay away forever and the fear that she was wrong._

_" ...you have a furry problem," she had felt his body stiffen against her, the hand that was stroking the wild orange tangles of hair stopped. " but I love you anyway..." She added quickly._

_He pulled back and knelt to her level to cup her jaw and look her in the eye. He looked just as scared as she did, and her godfather wasn't aloud to be scared, he scared away the monsters under the bed and in her nightmares and the spiders. She squirm unsure about how to handle everything that suddenly felt so heavy. " ....just, you know, don't be peeing on the furniture or, or chewing our slippers." She had shrugged like it was no big deal, her eyes flitting around the room but always going back to his face, she played with the longer strands of her hair nervously. She caught the twitch of his lips flicking upwards and an emotion in his eyes her was not familiar with before he bowed his head cheeks moving forming the smile she knew was on his face, before he leaned up and kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms around her in a hug that was similar to the one she had given him._

_" you are more like your parents then you could ever know." He uttered before kissing her head again._

 

\--//--//--//--//--

  
The trio of red heads heard an argument, meaning that Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were near the rather nicely polished stairway. Vesper then saw on the stairs a messy,dark haired boy with glasses on, he looked unsurprised that his best friends were having a fight yet again, this time both clutching their pets. The boys name was Harry James Potter. He was her biological younger bother, although he lived with his Aunt and Uncle on their mothers side and they had only met when he had bored the train to Hogwarts two years ago. She had always known about him and had literally bounced around the train until she found him, knowing he was to start that year. Harry on the other hand knew hardly anything about having a sister, only getting a brief mention from their aunt when she had either had slightly too much sherry or when the business of magic had come about. Harry looked up, away from his friends and around the room before catching her eye and smiled at her, he squeezed past his friends and embraced her in a hug. Even though he was over a year younger then her, he was already nearly her hight.

"Hey Harry, how you been?" she ask, all ways interested in what he did. She wanted to make up those years of not knowing him, and let him know that he had family that adored him.

"Good, you know, how was your Summer?" he said shrugging it off, he was please that he had a big sister even if he didn't get to see her as often as he would like.

"Interesting." She chuckled, when she wasn't with the Weasley's she was with her godfather, mainly traveling, while he looked for work. In turn Vesper had traveled all over the UK and Ireland, and spent the majority of time exploring the culture and languages. This year however she was the one to get a summer job in a small town call Whitby, working in a muggle shop." Remus is teaching this year at school." She had told Harry about her Godfather, that he struggled to rase the girl child and relied on the Weasley for help in the matter when he wasn't feeling to well. He was the only family she had known because on that faithful night that the Potters were murdered, Professor Dumbledore had insisted that the siblings be split up as it would be more likely that any death-eaters that were going to look for revenge, would look for a brother and sister. So he had placed Harry with their Aunt to be away from magic and placed Vesper with her godfather, for safety. Remus had agreed whole heartedly to keep at least one of them if not both, before remembering about his illness. Dumbledore had then spent many hours trying to convince him to take the small girl, he wasn't Harry's guardian but he was hers. At least that was the official story but vesper knew it wasn't true.

Harry smiled at the thought of having someone how knew his parents and someone who brought up his dear sister, was good.

"What's the problem then?" he chuckled,

"Oh there's no problem, just that I'll have to be on my toes. Not so many pranks this year." She smiled, tapping her index finger against her chin as if thinking.

"Whaaa?" yelled the twins their eyes wide, as they hustled away from the shadow they had retreated to, to give the sibling a sense of privacy and to find a better angle to tease Ron over Hermione's shoulder, "no pranks?!"

"Well, some pranks" she smiled so slyly that the boys seriously thought she should be clothes in green and silver before she winked at the boys before sliding up to Tom at the bar and gave him a warm smile while ordering a cup of tea. The three teenagers she left behind staring after her.

Shortly after Hermione and Ron where telling Harry about there summer, Ron had gone to Egypt and was in the Daily Profit.

"You're not flashing that clipping about again, are you Ron?" Fred chuckled pulling it from his younger brother's hand.

"I haven't shown anyone!"Ron protested

"No, not a soul!" George continued beside his brother, an arm around Vesper's shoulder -after discovering she was just the right height. Vesper herself had both hands around a steaming mug of tea and looked very pleased with herself.

"Not unless you count Tom..." Fred signed

"The day maid..." George counted

"The night maid..."

"That bloke who fixed the toilet..."

"And that wizard from Belgium"

"Alright, alright." Ron's ears flushed red. The older trio chuckled and moved away, further into the darken corridors of the pub.

 

\--//--//--//--

 

The train shuddered to a stop as the darkness stretched out in to the nights sky, the air felt cold, making the hairs on your neck stand up. The compartment door to the golden trios cabin open and Fred's silhouette was seen, blackness against darkness.

"What's going onnn?!" he whispered before being pushed forward and he fell on to the floor followed shortly by two other figures. Harry, Ron and Hermione stared in the darkness at the now mass of darker darkness squirming and shifting on the floor.

"Ah, what was that?" came Vespers soft voice came out of the darkness.

"That was me." Said a twin, George.

"Oi, don't hold that bit!" she hissed

"What bit?" You could heard the smirk in his voice

"That bit! Honestly since you two came back from Egypt your nothing but perverts!"

"That wasn't perverted." Said one twin

"But this is" said the other. You could practically feel the grin on their faces.

The three heard Vesper muffle a squeaked in shock, then a "thunk" of someone hitting two people at once.

"Ouch!" hissed both twins.

  
Vesper giggled, still sandwiched in-between the twins, she had saddle ones legs as he sat up, one hand clasping her hip the other going over her should to his twin, who sat almost pressed up behind the girl both arms crossed over her stomach. Vesper herself had one hand gripping the shirt collar of the boy in front of her, having in close enough that she could feel his breath on her cheek and the other wrapped behind the other twins back, twisted as she held his shirt as well.

Coldness suddenly fill the cabin, soaking into every fibre of your body, as a dark figure floated in its door way. Its human shape, over 9 foot tall, leering over everyone inside, its was wearing a dark hooded cloak revelling only its decaying grey hands. All the happy, playful feelings that a moment ago was there had gone from the small cabin.

Vesper hid behind George's shoulder, she didn't like this thing in front of her. She felt like crying, she felt all her deadening feelings, the feeling of hope has left her, she could almost feel her heart falling in her chest, no happiness, no joy only darkness. Light suddenly lite up the small compartment, and the creature was gone, escaping from the blinding whiteness.

Vesper looked around after getting over the spell of the creature, she saw everyone looking scared. She saw Remus standing, wand raised looking as tired as always, their eyes met and he smiled softly and held out a hand to help her up, which she took before she noticed that her hands was shaking with the rest of her, Remus hug her tightly.

"You alright?" he mumbled to her, the others just coming out of whatever spell the creature put them in. Vesper just nodded and looked across to Harry, she gasped as she saw that he had fainted. She scrambled over to him as Remus tended to the others. Vesper stroked his forehead lovingly, calling his name a few times before turning to her godfather.

"What was that thing?" she whispered her voice somehow sounded too loud for her ears in the deafening silence. Remus sat next to her as the others in the cabin look at him also wanting to know what the creature from hell was. The twins claimed part of the seat Ron and Hermione had sat on.

"That was a dementor, they are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them. Even Muggles feel their presence, though they can't see them. Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself — soul-less and evil. You'll be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life." he started, letting his kind eyes flit from his goddaughter to her friends.

"What? From Azkaban? What are there doing here?" croaked Ron, a dangerous paler colour then usual for his fair skin.

"Yes, there here to search the train for Sirius black." Remus's eyes met Vespers again at the name. Remus had told her of his friends, and what there have done. Vesper turned away to Harry, still unconscious, she took a bit out of the chocolate and nibbled on it, like her godfather she had developed a taste for it.

Harry eventually woke up and asks the same questions, Remus then left to talk to the driver and after making sure Harry and everyone were alright, Vesper and the twins left to their own compartment to gather their belongings before ether train pulled into the station at Hogsmeade. They came upon a few third year Slytherins all looking terrified.

Fred, George and Vesper clambered and dodge around the river of students pouring out of the train onto Hogsmeade station. George noticed that Vespers shorter leg couldn't keep up within the crowds of older, taller children, so he held her wrist tightly and pulled her along behind him to the horseless carriages.

Once seated inside he curled an arm around her shoulders to protect against the slight chill, Vesper snuggled into him wishing she had her scarf on her instead of in her luggage. Fred sat opposite them with a small smile before turning to Lee Jordan and making bets on the quidditch matches this years.

 

\--//--//--//--//--//--

 

  
The main hall was buzzing with excitement and worry about the creatures that boarded the train. As the first years scrambled in, Vesper noticed that Ron sat alone, she threw a piece of bread at him and jesters to where Harry and Hermione sit. He opened his mouth to reply but as he did the pair plonked themselves down beside him.

Professor Dumbledore gives a warning to the students that the school grounds are being guarded by Dementors and any attempt to slip past them will fail as they do not rely on sight to hunt their prey. He also welcomed two new teachers: Rubeus Hagrid, who will be teaching Care of Magical Creatures and Professor Lupin, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Both Vesper and Harry note that Vesper's  godfather receive a look of loathing  from Professor Snape. After the meal was finished Harry, Ron, and Hermione move to congratulate Hagrid on his appointment before  heading for Gryffindor Tower. Vesper and the twins retreat also but not before swiping some pastries from the Hufflepuff table when passing.

The next few days were the same as they were every year, busy introduction and reintroduction into lessons and teachers. Vesper had told the boys on no uncertain terms that she intended on passing all her O.W.L.s, she wanted to be healer. Her plan was to help people like her godfather, curing his disease may be impossible but surly a way to lessen the pain in all aspect must be reachable and she intended to work towards that. She was better then fairly descent at charms including non-verbal she was better at potions to the point that Snape didn't glare at her very existence when she entered his classroom as he did with every other Gryffindor. She had already read through her books for the up coming year and got a good understanding of the criteria.

She and the twins waited patiently in the great hall, for the third years to arrive from there first Divination lessons, eager to tease them. Vesper switched between thumbing through her copy of a muggle comic about a criminal clown and a man who is a millionaire and dresses like a bat and joining in the twins discussion about  more ideas to make joke items and sell them, currently they were brain storming sweets that could get you out of class.

When the third years arrived they looked pale and a little confused.

"Well?" Fred smirked at them as George and Vesper both raised their eyebrows at the golden trio. They looked at each other before Hermione burst out that Divination was useless and that the professor claimed that Harry was going to die. The three redheads snorted.

"She says that every year." Fred rolls his eyes taking a bite of a cheese straw rather aggressively.

" it's was Freddie here, when it was our turn." George continue glancing at his double to check he was still next to him.

"Yeah, laughing hysterically." Vesper finished as she slurped the last of her tea and placed the mug down only for it to be snatched up by George who waved his hands over it looking mysterious with Fred doing the same over his shoulder.

" I see that you, Vesper Potter," George started with a deep serious voice

"Are naked under your clothes" Fred wiggled his eyebrows at her using the same deep voice. Vesper snorted at them, playfully pushing the nearest twins head into the other one. Hermione looked on disgusted, Ron laught and Harry looked like a mix between the two. They ate lunch then separate for their afternoon classes.

That night in the common room while the twins, Vesper and Ginny sat on the floor trying to coordinate an epic patter cake session, Ron told them gleefully that Malfoy had been injured in their Care of Magic Creature class.

 

\--//--//--//--//--

 

The next night found Vesper curled in front of the common room fire, glaring at her fifth year Arithmency book like it had personally offended her, muttering darkly to her self as the third years entered all obnoxiously happy in her opinion. Irish tones told with glee that Snape had been dressed as Neville's grandmother. Vesper frown as she vaguely remembered seeing an elderly woman who would no doubt out live all of them out of spite if the way she looked down at the young boy had any thing to do with it. She chuckled to herself as the boy in question grinned shyly at being the centre of attention before she reread the paragraph she was on for the sixths time. Why did she have to take a subject with numbers?

She made a mental note to see her godfather in the upcoming week to get full details of the incident.

 

\--//--//--//--//--

 

Quidditch season soon started and Oliver Wood had called a meeting for the Gryffindor Quidditch team at the beginning of October, to discuss tactics for the new season.  
Oliver Wood was now a burly seventeen-year-old in his final year at Hogwarts. There was a quiet sort of desperation in his voice as he addressed his  fellow team members in the chilly changing rooms on the edge of the darkening Quidditch pitch.

"This is our last chance- My last chance- to win the Quidditch Cup," He said as he began striding up and down in front of them. "I'll be leaving at the end of the year. I'll never get another chance. Gryffindor haven't won for seven years now. OK, so we have had the worst luck in the world, because of injuries and then the tournament being called off last year..." Wood swallowed, as if the memory brought a lump to his throat. "But we also know that we have the best-ruddy-team-in-the-school," he told them, punching a fist in to his other hand, an old manic glint in his eyes again. The others shifted slightly away.

"We have three superb chasers." he pointed at Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet and Vesper Potter.

"We got two unbeatable Beaters,"

"Stop it Oliver, you're embarrassing us," said Fred in a girly voice as he and George both pretended to blush.

"And we have a Seeker that has never failed to win us a match!" Wood rumble, glaring at Harry with a furious pride. "And me." He added as an afterthought.

"We think you're very good, too, Oliver," said Vesper.

"Cracking Keeper," said George, winking at him.

"The point is," Wood went on, resuming his pacing, "the Quidditch Cup should have been ours. Ever since Harry joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance...."

Wood spoke so dejectedly that even Fred and George look sympathetic.

"Oliver, this is our year," said Fred.

"We'll do it, Oliver!" said Angelina.

"Definitely," said Harry.

 

\--//--//--//--//----

 

In full determination, the team started training sessions, three times a week. The weather was getting colder and wetter, the nights darker, but no amount of mud, wind or rain could tarnish the team's wonderful vision of finally winning the huge silver Quidditch Cup.

In fact Vesper, Fred and George had taking to putting muddy markings on their faces at the beginning of every training session, claiming it helps them force on the task at hand. Angelina had mentioned seeing something similar in a muggle game she saw once

When the team returned to the Gryffindor common room one evening after a hard hour training, cold and stiff but pleased with the way practise had gone, to find the room buzzing with excitement.

"What's happened?" Vesper heard Harry ask Ron and Hermione.

"First Hogsmeade weekend," said Ron

"Excellent," said Fred "we need to visit Zonko's."

Vesper listen to Harry, Ron and Hermione discussing Harry not being able to go to Hogsmeade,( Vesper had mentioned it to Remus but he claimed he wasn't Harry's guardian, when their parents became pregnant with her they had decided that one parent would have  named them and the other would find a godparent. Her father had named her. Remus had informed her that their other friend had pouted for months before demanding her father give him a godchild ) she search in her bag for some chocolate she had left in it.

Quidditch always left her hungry and in need of sugar.

"OUCH!" Vesper shouted ripping her hand out of her bag, finding Ron's pet rat, Scabbers hanging off of her finger by his teeth. The rat let go as she shook her hand to try and get it off. Crookshanks, who had been sat in Hermione's lap pounced at the rat as it ran for its life, the large cat chased Scabbers around the common room until the rat scurried under an old chest of draws, where Crookshanks skidded to a halt, crouched low on his bandy legs and started making furious swipes beneath the chest with its front paw.

"Ron, that bloody rat of yours is a menace!" Vesper growled angrily.

"Vesper, are you all right?" asked Harry as Oliver Wood pushed passed the crowd of students. Vesper nodded trying to top the blood running down her finger where Scabbers had bitten her.

"You injured?!" Gasped Wood seeing the bite on her hand, his mouth open and shut a few time before he stuttered out "hospital wing now."

"I'm OK, Oliver, really." Vesper told him but he shook his head he began muttering something about "infections" and "disease". Wood suddenly look pale, as if he was going to faint.

"Maybe we should take a him to the hospital wing." Vesper mumbled to Fred as he nodded, he and George took Wood by the elbows and gently pulled him out of the common room, followed by Vesper.

 

\--//--//--//--//--

  
Vesper and the twins had their pockets full of sweets and stuff from Zonko's as they sat down for the Halloween feast, as there plan what mischief there could do with what there had gotten.

The feast finished with entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghost, as they popped out of the walls and tables to do a spot of formation gliding.

Everyone was in good spirits, as there left the hall and went back to there dorms. However the Gryffindor's all jammed the corridor towards the portrait of the Fat Lady.

Vesper heard Percy's voice as he came bustling through the crowd. Vesper stood on her tip toes to see what everyone had stopped for. She cursed being shorter then most people.

The Fat Lady had gone. Her portrait slashed and had chunks missing completely.

"Somebody, get Professor Dumbledore. Quick." Percy said, in a sudden sharp voice.

The next moment, Professor Dumbledore was sweeping towards the portrait; the Gryffindor's squeezed together, to let him through.

Dumbledore took one look at the ruined portrait and turn to see Professors McGonagall, and Snape hurrying towards him.

"We need to find her." Said Dumbledore

"There she is headmaster." Said Snape nodding toward the other end of the corridor, the painting was of Africa; but there hiding behind a large rock was the Fat Lady, shaking, crying and terrified. Everyone rushed over to the painting.

"My dear Lady, who did this to you?" asked Dumbledore.

"The one there all talk about. Sirius Black, he was here in the castle." The fat lady cried from her hiding place.

"Everyone to the great hall immediately!" orders Dumbledore the large crowd of Gryffindor's turns and headed for the great hall, all afraid that the murderer was here in the castle. Vesper could hear her heart beating loudly in her ears, she knew of all the rumours about Blacks intentions and after a talk with her godfather dismissed them as rumours, but a small voice that was getting louder in the back of her head wondered if they were true.She went to find Fred, George, and Harry who she had lost sight of in the mass of students.

 

\--//--//--//--

 

That night all the houses slept in the great hall, as the teachers search the castle. Vesper slept between her brother and George- who had their fingers in twine together, something they had picked up as small children' when they were scared of nightmares-but she couldn't sleep. She heard Snape and Dumbledore talking, as there approached she heard,

"Should we tell the Potters?" asked Snape

"Not yet, they need to sleep."

"Headmaster, you know I expressed my feelings about Blacks friend, he would have let him in the castle, you know Lu..." Vesper frowned knowing what he was about to say and was thankful Dumbledore interrupted.

"I know you expressed them, but I do not believe that a single person inside this castle would have help Black enter it." They left the hall.

Just then Harry turned over and Vesper saw that he was awake as well. She knew he'd have questions that she didn't know how to answer; not now any way, she shut her eyes, held on to Georges hand and heard a howl in the distance, before she fell into darkness.

 

\--//--//--//--//--

 

Sir Cadogan became the new Gryffindor guard, being the only portrait brave enough to take the job. There was wild speculation throughout the school as to how Black broke in, did he slide under the door? Or up the pipes?

It become apparent that the school knows Black's objective: Harry also notices that a teacher is always walking alongside him, and the pompous Percy Weasley trails behind, reinforcing Harry's belief that he is Black's target. The nagging in Vesper's head causes her to chew her finger nails to the bed, she can't help but worry.  Professor McGonagall had summoned  Harry and Vesper to her office to tell them about Black, but is taken aback when they admits they already knows. Vesper had spend many long hours in her godfathers office trying to get her head round the fact that maybe she might be a target as well as her brother. When McGonagall suggests that Quidditch practice might be an unnecessary risk, The pair protests; it is only a week until the match with Slytherin. Professor McGonagall eventually relents and suggests that Madam Hooch can watch them during practice.

  
\--//--//--//--//----

  
The weather had worsened steadily as the first Quidditch match drew nearer. The Gryffindor team were training harder then ever, especially under the eye of Madam Hooch. Then at their final training session before Saturday's match, Oliver Wood gave his team some unwelcome news.

"We're not playing Slytherin!" he told them, looking very angry. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."

"Why?" chirped the rest of the team.

"Flint's excuse is that their Seekers arm's still injured." Said Wood, grinding his teeth furiously. "But it's obvious what they're doing. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chance..."

There had been strong winds and heavy rain all day, and as Wood spoke, they heard a distant rumble of thunder.

"And we have been practicing all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin," Wood said bitterly "and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They've got a new captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory-"

Angelina and Alicia suddenly giggle.

"What?" said Wood, frowning at this light-hearted behaviour.

"He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" said Angelina.

"Strong and silent," said Alicia, and then they started to giggle again.

"He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together," said Fred impatiently

"Jealous?" Vesper smirked but Fred ignored her and turned back to Wood.

"I don't know why your worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff are pushovers. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?"

"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Wood shouted, his eyes bulging slightly. "Diggory's put together a very strong team! He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep focus! Slytherin are trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!"

"Oliver, calm down!" said Fred, looking alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously."

  
\---//--//--//--//---

  
Between Alicia, Vesper and Angeline they had managed to score three times before the Hufflepuff team even had a chance in the game. Which was hard considering they could barely see the goals, but the team scored even then.

Cedric Diggory squinted his eyes, trying desperately to find the snitch so that he could get out of the weather. But all he saw was flashes of Red and yellow, he could barely hear anything over the sound of the wind. A flash of gold and he was off, Harry Potter raced him towards the snitch. Cedric urged his broom forward, willing it to go faster, he didn't notice when Potter disappeared from the corner of his sight nor the dark shadow around the younger boy.

He did however see a blur of red pass a little too close to him, as his fingers curled around the golden snitch; he ran into the red blur, sending them both hurtling to the ground, un-broom. Cedric realised that the blur was in-fact one of Gryffindors chasers. Not just any chaser but the Vesper Potter, he thought that she had to be part Veela, he had a crush on her since third year. Every year she just got more beautiful.

Cedric turned their bodies, so he would land on the ground first, taking the brunt of the fall. The pair hit the ground hard, and Cedric was glad that they hadn't been too high up. They rolled along the ground, before stopping with Vesper saddling his waist. Cedric looked up at her as darkness danced around the corners of his vision. She looked unreal like an angel. She was soaked to the bones, her normal light golden red hair was dark and plaster to her face, her bright dark blue eyes where filled with so many emotions he couldn't count, her pale peachy pink lips parted gasping for breath, her cheeks red.

"Oh Merlin, Cedric!" Her tongue and lips formed the words quietly but Cedric heard them. The last thing he saw was the angel leaning over him, with worried eyes, he tighten his grip on the small golden object in his hand.

 

\---//--//--//--//----

 

The infirmary was filled with concern Gryffindor and a few Hufflepuffs who all looked like they had just climbed out of a swimming pool, fully clothed. They crowed around the to Quidditch players that where out cold.

"Alright! Every one out!" shouted Madam Pomfrey having her hospital wing filled with children that was not ill or in pain was something she hated.

Most of the Gryffindor left and the rest of Hufflepuffs too, leaving a handful of close friends around Harry as they refused to leave until he woke.

Soon after the Hufflepuff patient woke up and having been check over by Madam Pomfrey, he was told to rest and his friends left him. He demanded a rematch once his friends had told him that the Gryffindor seeker had fallen from his broom due to the dementors that had come on to the school grounds.

Knowing that Harry was in good hands as his friends and hers where around him Vesper wander over to the Hufflepuff seeker and Captain who was dosing.

He had dark almost bronze coloured messy hair, thick dark eyebrows, high cheekbones, a strong jaw line, a straight nose, and full lips, he was slim build and was tall and some how he looked simply the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Vesper realised that was why so many girls swoon over him. She blamed her hormones for the catch of her breath when his eyes opened and met hers.

His shining grey green eyes flutter and he looks at her his eyes widening in shock.

"Am I dead?" his voice was filled with sleep so he spoke only so she could hear. He was confused about what had happened. Not completely sure why he was in the hospital wing.

"No, why?" Vesper asked her voice soft, she was a bit confused as to why he thought he was dead. She moved closer to his bed.

"Aren't you an Angel?" he looked confused and Vesper thought it was cute how he wrinkled his nose.

"no." she smiled feeling her face heat up. "I'm Vesper." She had decide to keep it simple and bit back something witty. Clearly being around the twins was rubbing off on her.

"Oh, well I'm Cedric." He said sitting up and looking at her with big green eyes then he suddenly smiled a heart stopping smile "I recognise you now. You play in Gryffindor, don't you hang around with those Weasley twins?"

"Yes, I do." She chuckled feeling a blush again this is a record she was sure she had never blushed this much before.

"You're very beautiful when you blush like that." He stated this made her blush darker; she looked down at her feet and smiled shyly. Her golden red hair fell over her face. She had never really been complimented before. The twins would tease her.

"Thanks."

"I'm surprised, I haven't seen you blush like this before, don't they tell you that?" he indicated to the group of Gryffindor's around her brother.

"I'm just one of the boys to them, I guess." She couldn't help but smile, looking into his eyes.

"He's awake Vesper!" shouted George

"No need to shout I'm only 'ere." She turns to glare at him

"Well you looked preoccupied with captain of the enemy team." He said with his hands on his hips looking down at her with raised eyebrow.

There looked at each other for a long moment then she put her head in her hands and shook it muttering to her self, 

"Holy Merlin." she looked up to Cedric and smiled "excuse me." She said politely before she drifted back over to Harry's bed and lightly punched George's arm, shaking her head as she did. George huff and slung an long arm around her shoulders.

"You're too nice when we're not on the pitch" he spoke to her but looked over his shoulder to the Hufflepuff captain with a calculating look. It's identical partner soon peered in the same direction but with a scowl over the girls head. Mr Diggory gulp loudly. The twin faces developed twin smirks.

  
Vesper didn't have time to talk to Cedric after that, he was released and he went on with what he did. Although he did manage to catch Oliver Wood and request a rematch to which surprisingly Wood denied, claiming the unfortunately Hufflepuff had won fairly.

The twins and Harry eventually managed to get Wood out of the shower and in to the great hall where he sat dejectedly, starring into space, occasionally whimpering.

\--//--//--//--//--

 

Vesper walked slowly to Transfiguration class, she knew that Fred and George where planning something (she had given them the idea after all) and normally she would be doing it with them, but with her godfather around she was trying her best not to get in too much trouble.

"Potter!" a voice that shouldn't sound so familiar yelled. She turns to see Cedric Diggory smiling shyly at her as he hurried up to her.

"Hello" was her response surprised that he remembered her, let alone wanted to talk to her after she did knock him off his broom.

There both looked at each other caught up in the others gaze. Vespers snapped out of it and turned her head, her cheeks a light pink.

"Erm, sorry about George, the other day. He and Fred get all territorial around Quidditch, well....everyone does, they suddenly becomes the enemy if there not in Gryffindor." She utters not looking at him but at the floor instead, why was this boy....well man talking to her? Doesn't he have a group of people begging for his attention? Vesper admitted he was easy on the eyes, and from what she had heard he was truly loyal and kind hearted.

"Oh that's ok, really. I understand. I just want to thank you." He smiled. Just to have a chance to speak to her.

"Thank me? Why" she made the mistake of looking up at him and her heart beat became faster. Damn them fluttering girlish hormones.

"For putting up with me, when I through I was dead and for telling me that I wasn't." ok so he was completely making a mess of this and sounding like an idiot.

"Oh, I did nothing really I just said that I wasn't an angel." She muttered looking at her hands as she fidgeted with them. Feeling awkward, as she always did with new people when they jump out at her unexpectedly.

"You really are beautiful when you blush like that." He told her and she looked up, he was closer then she remembers him being.

"I'm sorry, for getting in your way at Quidditch. I didn't see you till the last second..." he cut her off

"That's alright, I should have been watching, beside if you didn't we might not have met." And I would never have the courage to speak to you. – he added silently. He smiled down at her; his body tingled with being so close to her.

  
"Vesper, Mr Diggory don't you have lessons?" Professor Lupin stood not too far away an eyebrow raised. Vesper had found out through the years that Remus moved almost silently and had trained herself not to jump or at least try not too.

"Yes, just going, Remus eh, Professor, Lupin, Sir." He gave her the look. "honestly." Vesper told him, feeling flustered.

"Why aren't you there now?" he asked them both but his eyes never left Vesper. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by a loud BANG.

"That's why." She smiled, hearing laughter followed by an angry squawk.

"Vesper," he said it in a tone reserved to mean that she was in trouble.

"It wasn't me; I haven't even gotten there yet." She protested her innocents as Fred and George came around the corner being dragged by their ears by Professor McGonagall.

"Potter! You come with me!" she shouted marching towards the three.

"But what did I do?" Vesper asked

"You, no doubt, are the one who thought it would be funny to blow up my classroom, plus these two ratted you out!" McGonagall screeched, shaking the twins by their ears.  
Vesper turned to glare at the twins for landing her in it. They coward from her, which was hard as McGonagall still hand hold of their ears, and began dragging them towards Dumbledore office.

"I may have suggested it, but I didn't do it" She claimed as McGonagall pulled the twins up sharp, looking closely at the girl before marching on, saying over her shoulder to hide her amusement.

"of all the things, she really does takes after you, Lupin."

Vesper met her godfathers eyes with a cheeky grin.

"Go." He growled at her but she could see the twinkle of amusement clawing at his own eyes. " you too, Mr Diggory." With a move more fitting the potions Professor he span on his heels and made for the teachers office.

Vesper turned to Cedric

"I guess, I'll see you later." She smiled as set off after the three figures at the end of the hallway.

"Yeah, see you Vesper." He shouted after her, she turned smiled and waved then disappeared around the corner.

 

\---//--//--//--//-

 

Vesper slammed her bag down, and huffed. She was in the common room her back to her so called friends and her brother and his friends sat by the wall in front of her.

"I can't believe you two." She hissed over her shoulder to the twins.

"Oh come on Vesper." Moaned Fred both him and George acted like naughty children being told off be their mother.

"You squealed on me!" she turns to look at them, fire light reflected in her eyes making them seem to glow. "I don't think you precious Marauders would rat each other out."

"Yeah, well, where were you? With lover boy Diggory!" Fred started, he was always the most hot headed for the group.

"He is not! He wanted to thank me." she said her voice getting louder. George looked between the pair slightly worried, normally they might bicker but never argued .

"Oh I'm sure. How was he planning to do that? And why is he thanking you?"

"He hit his head when I knocked him off of his broom, I simply checked that he was ok."

"What like all the other girls in our year? Drooling all over him!?"

"I was not!"

"You look like you would start, but don't worry he's been drooling over you with the rest of them." Fred flapped his arms around, both twins and noticed and increase of males trying to get closer to Vesper. They moved most of them on quickly knowing Vesper was much to kind hearted and a little naïve when it came to people's intentions involving her.

"What do you mean?" her voice softer, looking confused. George found it cute how she would winkle her nose, squint her eyes slightly and tilt her head.

"You have to have notice. The way all the boys look at you." George spoke for the first time. She had to have seen how a least some of the males that where passing through puberty stared after her. The twins were sure they had seen the Slytherin prince himself, letting his eyes wonder over her a bit too regularly for their liking lately.

"Don't be ridicules." With that she stomped up stairs, drained, upset and tired. He had to have been lying to her.

She was just Vesper Potter, she didn't stand out, she wasn't pretty like the other girls, she wore very little make up, only to give her eyes shape, her golden red hair –although it never needed to be straighten for it was naturally – acted as if it had a mind of its own some days. Boys didn't look at her and think wow, not when faced with all the other females in the school.

She was sure.

The twins were lying.

 

\---//--//--//--//--

 

Vesper and the twins hadn't talked in three days, it was the longest time of not communicating together since when they were nine and the twins dropped a spiders nest on her head. Charlie Weasley still claims he could hear her screaming two county away. The twins had felt extremely bad afterwards and she wouldn't look at them or answer any letters from them for nearly two weeks, when Remus had deemed they had suffered enough, especially as, when she had been so scared her magic had burst forward, throwing everything around her away as if blasted by a powerful explosion and the Twins had loss their tongues. It had taken a while to calm her down enough to realise she held two flapping pink tongues in her hand, it had taken even longer for her to give them up.

Hogsmeade weekend was coming up and with things still a little tense the three went they separate ways.

"Hey Vesper!" shouted Cedric running up behind her,

"Hey Cedric" said Vesper her voice was soft as always and her warm dark blue eyes sparkled, her Golden red hair blow around her face giving her an goddess look. He smiled at her and she smiled back a heart warming smile that would make anyone go weak at the knees. When he caught her up, he notice she was on her own on the way to Hogsmead.

"Erm, where's the twins?" he asked knowing that the three where hardly ever apart.

"Well we had a bit of an argument, the other day, and we haven't really talked since." She said a hit of sadness in her voice and on her beautiful face.

"Oh well, do you want to erm walk to Hogsmeade with me?" he asked shifting nervously from foot to foot

"Sure" the angel smiled and they carried on walking together down the hill towards the small village.

"So Cedric, how come your out here all alone?" she ask a curious look on her face, which in Cedric's opinion made her look adorable.

"Oh they're , erm doing potions homework or some thing." He muttered captivated by her.

Suddenly she slipped –on some ice- but Cedric seeker reaction caught her. He held her close to his body, and held her up, her small gloved hands ramped around his shoulder, her face mere inches away from his. So close he could feel her warm breath on his face. Her face was tinted a light pink, as she looked up at him from under her long eye lasses.

She smiled shyly, more than a little embarrassed that she had to go and slip in front of him.

"Sorry, trust me to fall at an inopportune moment." She muttered. He smiled as well, his arms around her. It some how felt right to have her in his arms. There looked at each other for what felt like a long minute.

"You really are beautiful when you blush like that." He muttered making her goes redder and she hid her face in his shoulder. "I might have to go round making you blush if this is your reaction." He smirked. She lifted her head up to look at him wide eye.

"You wouldn't, would you?" She whispered

"I don't know I might. It's a beautiful colour on you" he smirked down at her. His head bent a bit to see her properly, as her head came up as she looked at his, their lips met. Her skin was cold yet warm from being out in the snow, her lips where soft and gentle against his. There moved together creating a rhythm of there own. They pulled apart for air, and looked in to each others eyes.

"Sorry." She breathed, biting her lip she was so sure he would push her away because she did that, but he smiled and said,

"If you keep biting your lip like that I might have to do it for you." She smiled and they kissed again.

It started snowing, but they were pleasantly distracted from it. Nether of them knew they where being watched.

"Knew it, your doing my homework for the month." Smirked Fred to his twin from under there hiding place.

"What, since when dear brother, did I agree to this?" asked George looking away from the couple to his twin.

"When you said, they will only be friends, for a while at least. And dear brother of mine, they are snogging in the snow, you don't see Harry and Ron snogging Hermione do you?"

"Yeah but we know Ron wants to." They sniggered before George sobered up "she'll be alright won't she?"

"Yeah....we can put itching powered in his robes if it will make you feel better, just so he know not to mess around with her." Fred suggested, George shook his head and took a last look at his best friend before they crawled away.

A large black dog at the other side of the road watched the kissing pair. He snorted, rolled his eyes and carried on its way to the Castle.

  
_Teenagers_.

 

 


	2. Arguments and Quidditch

Harry's outlook brightened after mourning his brooms demise for months curtesy of the Weeping Willow, as Ravenclaw flattened Hufflepuff in Quidditch, which brings Gryffindor back into the running for the Cup. Ron and Hermione decided to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas, further bolstering his morale. Even the prospect of missing yet another Hogsmeade weekend hardly bothers him. Borrowing Which Broomstick from Oliver Wood, Harry intended to spend the Hogsmeade weekend reading up on a replacement for his destroyed broomstick.  
Vesper, Fred and George, (who had made up and were often found curled together in deep conversation in the Gryffindor common room) however, had other ideas. Claiming Harry's needs are greater than their own, they bequeath him their Marauder's Map, a magical parchment they stole from Filch their first year.  
The map, apparently created by Messrs. "Moony," "Wormtail," "Padfoot," and "Prongs," shows seven secret passageways in and out of Hogwarts, as well as every person's location within the castle. Vespers visible gleamed when telling Harry the names giggling excitedly at "Moony" and "Prongs" looking at Harry as if he was in on a private joke. They tell Harry that Filch apparently only knows about four tunnels. One of the remaining three had been caved in, and one starts under the Whomping Willow, making it too dangerous. The last passageway was at the One-Eyed Witch statue which goes directly to Honeyduke's Sweet Shop in Hogsmeade village. To activate the map, the three showed Harry that the user must state the following:  
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," then "Mischief managed" to make it blank again. Vesper, however did stress to Harry that Professor Lupin should definitely not know that it was she had given it to Harry.

\--//--//--//--//--

Hours later as the twins and Vesper stumbled with laughter into the Gryffindor common room they were greeted by the golden trio all looking pale and shocked.

"well if it isn't the golden trio? Getting into any mischief?" Fred smirked, making his way to the large plushy sofa to collapse on.

"Why are they the golden trio? What does that make us?" George asked, the three new comers clearly back in their own world, were any one out side of it didn't exist. The three thought for a moment before Vesper piped up, from her place beside George as the pair leaned over the sofa back either side of Fred.

"Platinum, because we are far more amazing." She chuckled, the other two chuckled. Still high from their Sugar rush.

"Did you know!" Harry shouted across the room. The three turned, surprised that there were others in the room and that they were shouting at them. All three redheads blinked in unison, frowning.

"Know what?"Fred asked

"Yes, be more specific Harry," George continue

"That he was my godfather? That he betrayed them?!" Harry continue to shout getting more agitated as he glared at his sister, before he took four large steps across the room to crowd her. Her confused face prompted Hermione to step in, following him and placing a hand on Harry's arm in hopes to calm him.

"Sirius Black. We heard Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Hagrid, Fudge and Madam Rosmerta talking about it in the Three Broomsticks." Hermione said.

"Somehow I doubt they would speak so openly about this in a busy pub" Vesper scolded knowing that the teens tended to over react and listen to half a conversation while not having the full story the majority of time. Vesper stood up straighter and to be able to look her brother dead in the eye. Hermione had the grace to look sheepish. "No, I didn't know" the good mood had evaporated like a drop of rain in the desert. "But I had a good idea that he was."

"How could you not tell me!?" Harry snarled, the Weasley's and Hermione saw Vesper's body language suddenly change, as if readying for a fight, either physical or magical no one was sure. They was a coldness about her as her moments became very deliberate and still. The common room candles flickered, and the air turned cooler but crackled with magic, flickering against their skin. " your godfather must have known!"

"Because I wasn't certain, and unlike you, dear brother, " somehow Vesper managed to make that sound like a insult. "I do not follow rumours and hearsay without solid evidence to back up that theory." Vesper may have been small in comparison to the Weasley twins and to anyone in general but right now she fill the room with a calulating coolness. "In regards to Remus, yes, he probably did know but that does not mean that he is willing to divulge that information to me." Vesper spoke quietly and carefully but every syllable echoed around the room. Harry open his mouth several times to yell more, but she beat him to it. Her jaw set and her eyes flashed in anger. An unfamiliar sight on her pale face. " Do not even dare to suggest about asking him. If this is true, then that means that he lost all his best friends in one night." She paused to let that information sink in. "Our parents, murdered on the information for another." Harry went to speak again but she stopped him again. " Be quiet!" She hissed. "If this was Ron or Hermione who turned on each other and one went to Azkaban. Would you want to be reminded of that betrayal by a stroppy teenager, who doesn't have all the facts?" Harry screwed up his face as his sister glared at him as if she was looking inside his skull. "However, If Sirius Black can get into your dorms without anyone knowing, why would he not kill you straight away? Any good death eater would have done it alone with anyone else in that room, but he didn't. Why?" She left out that she would have done exactly that if she was a deatheater. "Clearly he wanted something eles."

Harry huffed in annoyance, angrily shaken by her cold logic. Why did she have to ask the questions he didn't want to think about? Why didn't Sirius Black kill him when he had the chance?  
Instead Harry stormed off towards his dormitory, refusing to look at her. Ron hurried after him as Hermione looked thoughtful, muttering about something being a good point before scrambling out the common room towards the library with a lingering look towards the direction of the boys.

"Insolent child." Vesper hissed towards the male dorms. At one point George had taken hold of her sleeve in a vague attempt to calm her. Fred brew air out of his mouth loudly from his seat. Tension still prickled the air.

"Want to go down to the lake and tempt out Squiddy?" He asked, referring to the quaint squid hiding in the lake. Vesper nodded, she needed to get away from Harry.

\--//--//--//--//--

Before the end of term Vesper and Cedric had stared to spend most of their time getting to know one another. The other students – once there overcome their jealousy- found that the pair made the cutest power couple.  
Fred and George would sometimes pout about not having their best girl with them but they would just put itching powder in the Hufflepuff Quidditch captains clothes.  
Sometimes it's the simple things that make you feel better.

\--//--//--//--//--

On Christmas day Vesper wore the khaki coloured knitted top that Mrs. Weasley's  had sent her. It was warm and fit her snuggly. She also wore her a pendant that had a small golden dragon twisting about a tiny ball that would change colour depending on if she was in danger, it was a gift from the twins a few years previous when their brother Charlie had started dragon taming. Beside the dragon was added a small wolf carved from wood. When asked about it Vesper would chuckle and say she had had it from being very little.

Vesper went with Hermione – who was still wearing her dressing gown. - To the boys dorms. Both girls stared open mouthed at the new broom Harry got.

A Firebolt.

"Oh. Harry! Who sent you that?" Hermione ask as Vesper nodded open mouth as she sat at the end of Harry's bed. The twins and Ginny had returned home and she decided to stay with her younger brother and godfather, even if she and Harry spent more time glaring and snarling at each other then talking lately.

"No idea," said Harry.

"it's beautiful." Vesper signed, "I've heard that the the Irish quidditch team are using these in the next world cup."

The day move quickly then as Harry, Ron and Hermione argued over the broom, Vesper herself could see both sides of the argument, the broom appeared out of nowhere when some criminal was supposed to be after her brother, the broom could be a way to get to Harry, however Vesper knew the her godfather hoped the Sirius Black had not killed those people, that there had been some evidence that had been over looked, from the vague memories Vesper had of the man, being a ruthless kill was never hinted at. She remembers a man with long black hair who smiled a lot and made her and her brother laugh, somehow these memories always involved a large black dog somewhere.

At lunch time the four of them went down to the great hall, to find the four house table removed and one table in the middle, set for twelve. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout and Flitwick were there, along with Filch, the caretaker, who had taken off his usual brown coat and was wearing a very old and rather mouldy- looking tail coat. They were only two other student, an extremely nervous looking first year and a sullen-faced Slytherin fifth-year, who nodded in Vespers direction before sneering at the others. Vesper has a strange relationship with Slytherin, they found her and the twins amusing but would rather cut off an arm then admit it and Vesper had Hufflepuff quality of being fair and just, honest and kind, good-hearted and accepting. She showed them more respected then her whole house providing they shown her the same. It was common knowledge between the houses that if Slytherin had to pick another house to protect it would be Hufflepuff as they didn't judge.  
Professor Dumbledore had wished them all a merry Christmas and told them it seemed a bit foolish to sit at the house tables when there was so few of them. Dumbledore was enthusiastic about the Christmas crackers. Vesper hid a smile, and noticed her godfather wasn't present but she didn't expect him to be.

The others watched as Professor Trelawney had appeared from her tower commenting that there was now thirteen, both she and McGonagall said some snide remarks to each other, while the others watched winded eyed.

"Where's professor Lupin?" Hermione questioned Vesper,

" he's had a funny turn last night so is sleeping it off today." She didn't lie to her, she just didn't tell her details. Vesper knew that if anyone could guess about her godfather illness it was Hermione. Although Vesper had heard that Snape had help with that. In fact she heard him scoff under his breath at what she had said, she threw a glare at him down the table but he turned away from her.

After what seemed like hours of eating, Ron and Harry got up to go when Professor Trelawney shrieked loudly, demanding to know who got up first, McGonagall snorted and more snide remarks where made.

"Coming?" Harry asked Hermione and Vesper, both shook their heads but Vesper stood up saying she was going to make sure Lupin had something to eat, before going to the library while it was quiet to catch up on homework.

\--//--//--//--//--

With a plate full of food in one hand, Vesper knocked lightly on Lupin's door, then slipped inside. Remus was asleep, so she gently closed the door behind her and set the plate down on the small table beside the bed where he slept. She smiled gently and picked up a blanket that was at the bottom of the bed and placed it over the sleeping man, she then kissed his forehead. For many years she knew that he had done that to her when she was younger.

She then muttered a spell that would keep the food warm for when he wakes, then she slipped out quietly, hoping to start on the ever increasing pile of homework. She had her O.W.Ls this year and unlike the twins she had plans to have a career in medicine, she had spent enough time patching up the twins without their mother knowing to know she wanted to go into it.

\--//--//--//--//--

The holiday had passed and everyone was back at school. Classes were harder in the run up to the fifth years O.W.Ls and seventh years N.E.W.Ts even the twins were seen looking through text books.

Oliver Wood had taken to wandering around like a wounded animal once he found out the the professors had taken the new broom Harry had received away for testing. Didn't they understand the importance of the up coming match?! He was of course most gleeful when the broom was return and demanded a practice session the next day.

Ron had declared loudly that he would take Harry's broom upstairs, while Vesper, Lee Jorden and the twins discuss the idea of opening a joke shop by the shadowy corner they claimed for business. They had stopped when Ron charged down the stairs dragging his bedsheets howling that Scabbers was missing and his bed was covered in orange fur and blood.

The following argument ended the friendship between Ron and Hermione as Ron was taking the loss hard of his pet hard and believe Hermione didn't care, even the twins tried to console him reminding him that he said Scabbers was pretty useless only days ago, and he wasn't looking well. Nothing worked.

\--//--//--//--//--

The Quidditch match was the next morning.

The Gryffindors form an honor guard to carry the Firebolt down to breakfast. Students from the other Houses, including Ravenclaw, come over to check it out. Shortly after breakfast the team head for the Quidditch pitch. Oliver mentions Ravenclaw's new Seeker, Cho Chang, and as always runs through the whole of the opposing team and breaks down the strengths and weaknesses, he says Chang is good, but is riding a slower broom, a Comet Two-Sixty.

Madam Hooch blow her whistle, and the match is on. Lee Jordan started commentating as always, but repeatedly lapses into descriptions of the Firebolt, for which he gets a stern warning from McGonagall.

The Gryffindor chasers played a tough game, while facing Slytherin was a case of brute strength, anger and speed, playing against Ravenclaw was different. They learnt to make illogical moves and to think outside the norm. The Ravens were smart and the Gryffindors knew they had speed on their side and could uses it to their advantage but only if they were clever about it. Harry spoted and lost the Snitch several times, at one point he heard Wood roaring from down the pitch, as he swerved to avoid a collision with Cho.

"HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN! KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!"

Finally he saw the golden snitch by the Gryffindor goalposts. When he accelerates for it, so does Cho. He watched her from the corner of his eye however she suddenly gasped and pointed downwards, almost coming to a complete stop.  
Harry paused to look to were she was pointing and saw three Dementors on the field, drew his wand and summoned a Patronus, sending it at the Dementors. Then he blasts ahead of Cho, knowing Wood would give him the dressing down of a life time if he messed up, to grab the Snitch and win the game.

In the ensuing celebrations on the field, a visibly shaken Professor Lupin comments that Harry produced quite the Patronus. Harry said that the Dementors had not affected him, but Lupin says they were not Dementors. It was actually Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Marcus Flint disguised in Dementor-like robes. Professor McGonagall berates them soundly and deducts House points as the Quidditch team watch. Vesper hugs Harry tightly, their latest argument forgotten.

"You produced a fully formed patronus! That's extremely difficult magic, Harry" she spoke into his ear before letting go.

"Fully formed?" He asked getting jostled by the excited crowd, she nodded

"From what I could see, it looked like a stag!" She explained excitedly, as she was pulled into the crowd Harry was sure he heard her say "just like dad." But she was gone before he could grasp it. 

As Gryffindor had won the Quidditch game, the twins and Vesper handed out sweets and goodies from Honeyduke's and the Three Broomsticks. A seventh year had enchanted some musical instruments to play lively music for people to dance to and it could be heard throughout the castle. The party that lasted until McGonagall had to tell them to go to bed in the early hours of the next morning, but not before enjoying a glass of something she brought with her with a please smile.

\--//--//--///--//--

Vesper was woken by a scream only to realise it was coming from the boy's dorms. She – along with most of the girls - stumble sleepily down the stairs to the common room. She noticed Ron was shaking and was paler then normal. He was shakily telling Percy that Sirius Black was in his dormitory with a knife.

Professor McGonagall had come in slamming the portrait shut before telling every one off. Half asleep Vesper heard Professor McGonagall ask Sir Cadogan how Black got in. Sir Cadogan states proudly that he allowed a man in because he had the passwords — a whole list of them. Livid, McGonagall exploded and demanded  to know who was stupid enough to write down all the passwords and then lose the list. A shamed-faced Neville raises his hand muttering the Cadogan changes the password that regularly it was hard to keep up.

No one in Gryffindor slept that night and more security was put in place the next day.

\--//--//--//--//--

Cedric put an arm around Vespers shoulder crushing her to him, as they walked from breakfast. Vesper signed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You look tired, love." He mumbled to her "did you party all night?" he smirked, but Vesper just shook her head and wrap her arms around his chest.

"I don't think any one slept well last night, didn't you hear? Sirius Black got into the Gryffindor boys dorms last night, with a huge knife." He wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed the top of her head.

They carried on and nothing exciting happened except some of the Slytherin getting rainbow coloured hair for being cheeky.

\--//--//--//--//--

Vesper had been band from Hogsmeade visits for her own safety, grumpy and put out she tells the Twins that if they bring her something back she would help them with their potions essay. Surprisingly potions was something that came naturally to her, Vesper had brushed it off as she enjoyed cooking and it was basically the same thing. In Her first year she was one of the first few that managed to complete a potion completely without it blowing up, Snape was reluctantly impressed with her, remembering her mother and hoping she was more like her then her father.

She spent her time completing her own potions essay and finishing off her herbiology homework, before going to see Professor Lupin, they talked until Snape summoned him to take a look at something.

\--//--//--//--//---

When the golden trio appeared through the Gryffindor common room looking upset, they saw that George was sat with his back against the overstuffed, worn red sofa, rubbing Vesper's lower back as she sat between his long legs, holding up an old potions book so they both could see. She was explaining something in low inmates  tones as the trio crowded around a table in time to see Fred float in with a smug look on his face. He laid on on the floor beside his twin, flopped his head down so it was in Vesper's lap. The pair peered over the book to look down at him.

"How was the date?" They both said, Fred frowned at them before smiling smugly. The common room door open the let inside Angeline Johnson. She paused to looked that the three, blushed and scurried to the girls dormitories.

"good I see," George chuckled at Angeline retreating back, his twin nodded, putting his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. They elapse into a relaxed silence until they heard Hermione sniffing and they all turned to her.

"What's the matter, Hermione?" Fred raised himself from Vesper to look at Hermione clearly. "Do you want us to beat up Ron? Would that make you feel better?" Hermione tried not to smile at the idea as Ron exclaimed loudly that it wasn't him.

"Buckbeak has been sentenced to death."

"Buckbeak? The hippogriff that scratched Malfoy? That sounds unreasonably harsh" Vesper murmured remembering the third years gleaming at the information months ago. Hermione nodded,

"His father pushed for it." Shortly after Hermione apologised to Ron for what Crookshanks did to Scabbers. Ron promises Hermione that he and Harry will work on Buckbeak's final appeal with her. Apparently, all is patched up between them. The platinum trio (self dubbed) went back to their homework.

\---//--//--//--//---

Easter Holidays start, but few of Vespers classmates are relaxed. The fifth-years have more homework than ever, and many look like they might break under the load.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team practice hard between classes and homework. They are playing Slytherin, who are leading by 200 points, the Saturday after Easter break. Gryffindor House became obsessed with the match, it being the first time they have been in the running for the Cup since Ron's brother Charlie was Seeker.  
For Harry, it is a personal conflict between himself and Malfoy, while Oliver sees it as his last chance to win the Quidditch cup.  
Tensions are also high in the Slytherin camp. Slytherins try to trip Harry in the hallways and Crabbe and Goyle constantly appear wherever he is, slouching away disappointed when they find him safely amidst chattering Gryffindors.

\--//--//--//--//--

The next day is the final Quidditch game against Slytherin. The match started, and it became clear that it was going to be a dirty game, with Slytherin committing multiple fouls against Gryffindor. Harry cannot catch the Snitch until Gryffindor is more than fifty points up or else Slytherin will win the Cup. He is trying to pay attention to the game and the Snitch. Gryffindor is up by sixty points (largely through penalties).  
Harry sees the Snitch, but is thwarted by Malfoy, who holds on to Harry's broom, preventing him from reaching it.

"YOU CHEATING SCUM!" Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall's reach. "YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B —" Professor McGonagall didn't even bother to tell him off. She was actually shaking her finger in Malfoy's direction, her hat had fallen off, and she too was shouting furiously.

Gryffindor lost the advantage because everyone on the team is getting angry at Slytherin's antics, the twins had started beating blugers with enough force to knock some of the Slytherin's off their brooms, the three chaser were visibly bloody after half an hour, Harry spotted his sister wiping a bloody lip that she got from one of the Slytherin's punching her for the Quaffle, similar Angeline Johnson had a nasty looking cut on her cheek and Alicia Spinnet had to be taken off after a bludger to the ribs knocked her off her broom and Gryffindor's reserve Katie Bell was put on in her place, she already had a bloody nose.

"And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle— Flint alongside her —poke him in the eye, Angelina —it was a joke, professor, it was a joke..." Harry heard Jordon comment over the game.

Harry gritted his teeth and search for the Snitch before he finally spotted it and raced after it catching it from Malfoy by inches.

Gryffindor had won the match and the Cup.

The stadium exploded in deafening cheers, some students even claim to have seen professor McGonagall fist pumping the air and dancing around before realising she was a teacher and shouldn't be doing it.

While the crowds cheered along with the team. The teams landed on the pitch and Harry was engulfed by people. Vesper stood to the side smiling, nothing could wipe the grin off her face.  
That was until the Slytherin captain shoved her already tender shoulder as he stormed passed, she hissed and turned to him. He snarled back at her and pushed her again. This time hard enough to force her to take a couple of steps back to keep balance.

"Hey, watch it" she hissed, shooting him a glare any Slytherin would be proud to have.

It was a tough game and emotions were running high. However -bar Harry- she was the smallest on the team and many thought she would be easier to hurt. Them who used their brain knew that if Vesper didn't get them back some how, the twins would and no one wanted to be on the receiving end of their more aggressive pranks. However many Slytherin were more brawn the brain.

Flint snarled before springing forward a man his size shouldn't have and tackled her to the ground. Vesper's right shoulder went white hot with pain, to stop herself crying out, she bit down on the flesh before her mouth. This just happen to be Flints own shoulder. Flint yelp in pain and jumped away from her. Vesper sprang up, her head dizzy with the pain in her arm and knowing she couldn't back down against this wall of a man.

"Touch me again and I'll rip your throat out" she snarled spitting his blood from her mouth. Flint snarled back, pure hatred in his beady eyes before he yanked her Quidditch robes towards him in tight fists holding her up so he could spit in her face with each word.

"I'll rip something of yours, you little c-" he was suddenly ripped away from her and laid out on the floor, someone beating his face bloody.

Vesper wobbled. Confused about what had just happened. She blinked at the pair before recognising the blur of red.

"G...George. George!" George glanced up at her between long copper bangs and sees her clutching her shoulder.  
-Everyone knew Fred had a quick temper but it was George you had to watch out for, more calculating with his angry.-  
He pushed himself off Flint, harder then necessary, as he heard the crowd still cheering Gryffindor's win. He cupped her jaw in large bloody hands, rage still burned in his brown eyes, she looked angry and in a daze of pain. " Georgie." She mumbled. George heard Fred land behind him and give Flint a firm satisfying kick....or three.

"we should get you to the hospital wing." George put an arm around her waist, as she wobbled, she leaned on him heavily, as he wiped the blood from her face with his sleeve. He knew she would only tell him off if he picked her up but he was very tempted to.

"let just watch Harry lift the cup, yeah?" she struggled to breathe steadily, she felt like she might be sick, the pain in her shoulder was numbing the rest of her bruises. She must have landed on it funny.  
Watching her baby brother lift the cup was one of the happiest moments of her life she wasn't going to miss this.

A sobbing Wood passed Harry the Cup, and as he lifted it into the air, Harry felt he could have produced the world's best Patronus.

Celebrations lasted long into then night (after the Gryffindor team stopped by the hospital wing) and even carried on over the weekend in the Gryffindor tower.

\--//--//--//--//--

By late May exams were looming and the fifth and seventh years were rarely seen anywhere were they weren't studying.

When the exams were coming to a close that June everyone signed in relief. The seventh years opted to celebrate their N.E.W.Ts ending and the last year of Hogwarts by having a large party in the Room of Requirements. The fifth years celebrated by catching up on the sleep they lost fretting about their O.W.Ls.


	3. Rats and Hidden Secrets

After the exams had ended the school quieten down with the fast approaching summer holiday.

The Weasley Twins had all but pushed Vesper out of the common room, meaning they were planning something dangerous and didn't want her knowing. She knew any way.

Vesper found herself heading towards to path for Hagrids hut after she watched a few Slytherin's running from that direction. 

"Where have you lot been? It's getting late you know." Vesper smirked as she walked slowly down the path to meet the trio as they came back from Hagrid's hut, she looked like all the rest of the fifth years, exhausted. However there was a smug grin twitching at her lips, she had earlier managed to get in and out of the Hufflepuff common room with out a vat of vinegar being dumped on her head.

Ron opened his mouth to tell her, when his rat, which he was holding his hands tightly bit him, managing to escape the boys hold. Ron shouted and chased after it as and orange cat joined in the chase after the rat, Harry and Hermione followed.

Vesper rolled her eyes mutters in frustration "bloody rat! Bloody third years!" and took off after them, knowing that the three won't come back with out pest. She cut across the path so she was right behind Ron and in front of Harry and Hermione.

"Ron!" shouted Harry and Hermione as he fell and caught Scabbards, Vesper landed as ungracefully next to him, catching hold of the rats tail in one hand and Ron's wrist with the other.

"Ron, Vesper, Run!" shouted Harry looking behind them at the towering shape of the Weeping willow. As Vespe looked up, hErm eyes grew larger with fright. It was a long standing fact that the tree hadn't anger issues.

"Harry, Hermione run, it's the grim!" shouted Ron staring at the large black dog behind them. It leapt over them and charged toward Ron and Vesper. The pair screamed in terror and held each other tightly as the huge black dog hurged itself over to them. The dog snapped it's jaw around Rons leg and begain to drag him into a hole under the roots of the Whomping Willow, breaking Ron's leg in the process. Vesper held on to Ron's arms as Harry leapt after them, he caught Vesper's foot and was dragged a little way before her shoe slipped off and the pair were gone.

Harry, tried to follow, but was struck by one of the Willow's flailing branches.

Just as everything seemed hopeless, Crookshanks dived under the branches and pressed a knot in the tree trunk. The branches fall still, the friends follow Ron, Vesper and the black dog down the dark passageway. Harry thound he remembered seeing on the marauders map, that this tunnel leads to the Shrieking Shack.

\--//--//--//--//--

 

He was correspct. As Harry and Hermione entered the old building, it was clear no one had been inside it for years.

Upstairs, Ron, lays beside a decrepit four-poster bed, as Harry and Hermione raced up the old stairs towards him. The building creaked loudly in protest.

"Ron! where's Vesper?" asked Harry as him and Hermione ran into the room towards him.

Ron pointed behind Harry and said in a scared tone, trying to warn them about the man behind them.

"It's him. He's an animagus!"

The pair turned and saw a dark haired wizard that looked close to death, his skin looked like wax and he had tattoos covering his chest. Black disarmed Harry and Hermione with Ron's wand then held it to Vesper's neck, the other hand held one of her arms uncomfortably behind her back. She was covered in dust and dirt from being dragged, there was a tear in her jeans and she stood awkwardly with one beaten old trainer on one foot and an worn greying white sock on the other. Her free hand gripped Black's wrist, hoping to move the wand away from her face.

"Let her go!" demanded Harry panicking because his sister was in really danger, this man had organised the murder of his best friends, their parents.

"No. not until I get want I came for." Sirius's voice was harsh and raspy like it hadn't been used for a while. Scabbers squeaked and wiggled in Ron's grip.

"If you want to kill Harry, you're going to have to kill us too." Ron says boldly, trying to stand up beside Harry and Hermione.

"No, only one will die tonight." He hissed, seemingly looking passed the teenagers at Ron's chest. Seeing his distraction Harry lunged at Black, grabbing his wand wrist away from his sister, but in so doing all three are pushed to the ground. Black struggled with the pair, as Vesper wrestled for their wands, Hermione kicked Black while Ron tried to get in a few punches.  
Crookshanks joins in, with a blur of ginger matted fur and claws.  
Vesper rolls free, stumbled to her feet before taking in the sight in front of her, before pulling the back of Harry's jumper to pull him off Black and giving the other back their wands while watching Crookshanks deliberately sits on Black's chest, resisting Black's efforts to remove him.

  
Stubborn piece of fur.

Defenceless, Black asks them if they are going to kill him. Harry says he knows Black betrayed their parents to Voldemort, while Vesper watches coldly. Thints about this man didn't add up. She had see raw hatred before and the unreasonable state people react. Black admits he was responsible but there's more to the story. Vesper could she raw pain and guilt within the man.

Vesper raised an eyebrow, and glares at Black like she wanted to crack open his skull to extract his secrets. She heard Harry huff and raised his wand, evidently he is not thinking clearly, she thinks, and with her chaser reflexes caught his wrist and jerked it away. Before Harry could protest as she knows he would, she growled at Black.

"Start talking."

  
Black looks mildly surprised at her, as if seeing her properly for the first time.

The door behind them banged open, having closed in the struggle. In the door way his wand raised was Professor Lupin, he turned his gaze on Sirius Black and and the four teenagers, before he disarmed them. His gaze lingered on his goddaughter, taken in her appearance with an raised eyebrow, similar to how she had done moments before.

Sirius looked to the young woman as well, he had assumed she was another Weasley, until he looked at her properly. He mentally aged the young red haired toddler he remember, yes they would be about the same age and now that he really looked at her he noticed that her eyes were James's, even if the glares was suspiciously similar to Remus's, her features were remarkably similar to Lily's. This really was Vesper Potter beside her baby brother Harry, who was identical to his father. It was like looking into the past

.  
Black scrambled to his feet, finally dislodging the cat, which hissed at him.

" Well, well, Sirius. Looking rather ragged aren't we? Finally the flesh reflects the madness within." Lupin spoke to the raggedy man

"Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?" Any other time the pair would have smirked at each other but that was a life time ago.

"Where is he?" Lupin asked Black, wand held tightly in his hand remembering what he had just seen on the map in his office. The same map that had found itself in the younger Potter's hands.

Black points to Ron, who squawks. Harry and Hermione look both betrayed and shocked at the Professor. Vesper however looked to what Black was really pointing, what he was looking at before. Suddenly something clicked in her head.

That rat was incredible old for a common garden rat, it had been the picture of health until this year when Black escaped and every time Black had appeared in Gryffindor he was around Ron's bed, were Scabbers also sleeps. It could be a coincidence she wondered, but she didn't believe in coincidences.

While she was deep in thought Black and Lupin had embraced like long lost brothers and Hermione had stated loudly that she had trusted Lupin and that he was a werewolf.

Lupin confirmed this and stated that all the other Professors had known.

Lupin returned all their wands, placing his own wand in his belt, and asks them to listen. Lupin had seen Black's name on the Marauder's Map, a map Lupin helped create when he was a student. Lupin confirmed he was "Moony." Harry suddenly remember the excited look on Vesper's face when she and the twins had given it to him.

Lupin saw someone on the map with the Trio, before and during the time they met up with Vesper.

Scabbers made another bid for freedom, squirming violently as Ron struggled to keep hold of him.

"Ron, give him to me." Vesper spoke softly and reached out to Ron.

"What?why?" Ron was confused with this turn in the conversation.

"he's had a busy few weeks and you're injured. Give him to me." Ron wanted to argue that this was not the time as a her godfather just admitted to being a werewolf, and had hugged the man that was trying to kill her brother, however the tone she used was scarily similar to his mothers which simply meant, don't make me ask again.  
He handed over the rat, opened mouthed. Vesper clutched the rat behind the head and back as it tried to bite her, wanting to be freed. She held it out eye levelled, she was never very fond of the creature.

Lupin explained that his friends had learnt to become Animaguses to be with him on the full moon. One of the Peter Pettigrew turned into a rat. Both Lupin and Black claim Scabbers is the Animagus, Peter Pettigrew.

Ron claimed they were all barmy, Harry and Hermione agree with him claiming that Black had killed Pettigrew with a handful muggles twelve years ago. Black was adamant that Pettigrew escaped and killed the muggles to cover himself and frame Black.  
Finally having enough of talking, Black snarled and leapt at Scabbers, who was still held be Vesper. Vesper yelp in surprise, took a few hurried steps back and slapped Black as he hasten towards her. He stumbled back with shock and cupped his cheek, looking as if he had never seen her as he was that focused on the rat. The pair glared heatedly at each other.

Harry and Hermione had started forward to help Vesper, paused as Black jumped back and Lupin took hold of his arm and shot his friend a glare. Black blinked at Vesper, before turning to Lupin and muttering that she was just like her mother.

Lupin had then spoken hurried but calmly while keeping a firm grip on Blacks arm, stating that the Potters had to know the whole truth before Pettigrew die. Vesper frowns at her godfather, never has he spoken so casually about murdering someone and it unnerved her. She re-gripped the creature in her hands, as it twisted away from Black.

The door swung open again revealing nothing, Ron groaned that the Shrieking Shack was haunted.  
Black and Vesper both snorted and Lupin told the other three that he was what haunted the shack. It was his howls the villagers heard, long before any potion was made for a werewolf to keep their mind during transformation. When Lupin was about to start Hogwarts all those years ago, the Shrieking shack was built and the whomping willow was placed and the hidden passageway made for him.

Lupin continued about how hard the transformations were to keep secrete and the his friends soon discovered he was a Werewolf, but rather than shunning their friend, they secretly became Animagi to support him. It took them three years to learn how, perfecting it in their fifth year. James and Black learned on their own, but Pettigrew needed their help. When transformed, they could safely run with Lupin in the Forbidden Forest. Sirius and James were large enough to keep a Werewolf in check, though there were near misses. Their Animagus forms determined their nicknames; Black was Padfoot, James was Prongs. Pettigrew, the rat, was Wormtail.

Harry asked what type of animal their father was, before the two adults could answer,Vesper smirked, "Sta.." She was cut off by Hermione, saying it was dangerous to allow a Werewolf to run free. Lupin admitted it was, but they were young and uncaring. Lupin regrets never telling Dumbledore that Black is an Animagus, but says he was ashamed to admit that he betrayed Dumbledore's trust by roaming the village as a Werewolf. Lupin says that he believed Black was serving Voldemort and convinced himself that Black used Dark Magic to enter the castle, rather than his Animagus form. He confesses that Snape was partially right, that by remaining silent, he was aiding Black. Black demands to know how Snape is involved, and Lupin explains that Snape is now a Hogwarts teacher. He tells the four that Black once tricked Snape, who had become curious about Lupin's monthly disappearances. Black told him about the Whomping Willow and how to get into the tunnel. It was James' last-minute intervention that saved Snape from meeting the deadly Werewolf that Lupin had transformed into. Dumbledore had, of course, forbidden Snape from revealing anything about Lupin's condition.

"So that's why Snape hates you." Harry said, as behind Lupin, pulling off Harry's neglected Invisibility Cloak, Professor Snape replies,

"That's right."

Snape had found the Invisibility Cloak by the Whomping Willow. It must have fallen out of Harry's pocket. He had brung Lupin his Wolfsbane potion when he noticed a very interesting map on Lupin's desk that confirmed his suspicion that Lupin was helping Black.

"Well isn't this interesting." Said Snape, sneering at them with obvious hatred. "I knew you where helping an old friend into the castle," he said levering his wand at Lupin intending to bind him when Vesper place herself between them, still holding the rat that seemed to have stopped squirming to watch what was going on.

"Professor – please just wait." She said to him, a hand raised in surrender hoping he would lower his wand. He didn't but it did drop a fraction.

"Just like your mother." Snape sneered at her "Trying to protect the beast." Vespers opened her mouth for a snarky comeback, her anger getting the better of her when her family where in danger, but Lupin slapped his hand over her mouth, not wanting her to add tensions to the situation. She was normally more level headed but when people she cared about were in immediate danger her temper got the best of her.

Vesper is very protective of her loved ones, Ron and the twins happily retell of the time Professor Lockheart had failed to mend Harry's broken arm and instead made the bone disappear altogether and Vesper had snarled and called him a complete and utter idiot that shouldn't mess with magic he didn't understand, she didn't care that he was a teacher and was about ready to pounce on him if the twins hadn't carried her away. Harry had never been more scared or in awe of her, surprised at the passionate emotions.

She settled for glaring at Snape instead. Snape hissed and insists everyone return to the castle. Pointing his wand at Lupin.

" Severus, don't be a fool." Lupin tried to calm the situation down

"He can't help it Remus, it's bound to be a habit by now." Black hissed

"Sirius, be quiet." Lupin hisses back

" Be quiet yourself, Remus!"

" Oh listen to you two, quarrelling like an old married couple." Snape sneered at them, the teens watched silently.

" Why don't you run along and play with your chemistry set?" Black jeered, not seeing the identical disapproving glares from godfather and goddaughter.

"I could do it, you know? But why deny the Dementors, when they're so longing to see you? Do I detect a flicker of fear? Ah yes, a Dementor's Kiss. One can only imagine what that must be like to endure. It's said to be nearly unbearable to witness but I'll do my best!" Snape snapped his wand to Black's throat, noting the Black had wormed himself closer between Snape and the others.

He had then threatened to bind all of them together and leave them to the dementors.

Harry blocked the door and demanded Snape listen. When Snape refuses, Harry disarms him, helped by Ron and, surprisingly, Hermione. Their triple-force spell tosses Snape against the wall and knocks him out. Black dived for his wand.

Lupin had then taken the rat from Vesper as Ron protested his pets innocence. Lupin and Vesper cast a spell that transformed the rat and it became human.

Peter Pettigrew was very short, and had a rather ratty look about him. He had small, watery eyes and thinning colourless hair that was bald in places. After he escaped from Sirius Black years ago, he bit off his middle finger in an attempt to cover his escape. He stood staring at the others before tiring to run for the door. Lupin and Vesper grabbed an arm each and pulled him back into the room.

Black points Snape's wand at Pettigrew, looking more frightening the Lupin ever remembers seeing, and raised the wand to kill his passed friend when Harry says Black was his and Vesper's parents' Secret-Keeper and he betrayed them. Black claimed he was responsible for their deaths, but was not the Secret-Keeper; he had persuaded James and Lily to switch Secret-Keepers, using Pettigrew rather than him, believing no one would suspect a weak wizard like Pettigrew.

Vesper had nodded in agreement, looking down at the man who coward away from her gaze.

When Black had checked on Pettigrew's hiding place and found him missing without any apparent struggle, he feared something had happened. He went to Godric's Hollow, and finding James and Lily's bodies amid their destroyed house, realised Pettigrew betrayed the Potters to Voldemort.

When Lupin demands an explanation about the night James and Lily died, Pettigrew feebly claims he faked his death because he feared Black, after betraying the Potters, would also come after him, and he possessed powers that "He Who Must Not Be Named" taught him. Black responds that Voldemort's followers are unhappy with Pettigrew, that Voldemort went to the Potters' on Pettigrew's information and died there. Black says that his fellow prisoners, the Death Eaters in Azkaban, think Pettigrew double-crossed Voldemort; many others are still at large, and probably believe the same.

"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat." Lupin asked

Pettigrew claims he was scared because he put Voldemort's top lieutenant, Sirius Black, in Azkaban.

"Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it," Black hissed, so venomously that Pettigrew took a step backward. "I thought it was the perfect plan... a bluff... Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you... It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."

"He – he was taking over everywhere!' gasped Pettigrew. 'Wh – what was there to be gained by refusing him?'

'What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?' said Black, with a terrible fury in his face. 'Only innocent lives, Peter!'

'You don't understand!' whined Pettigrew. 'He would have killed me, Sirius!'

'THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!' roared Black. 'DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!'

Black and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised.

"You should have realised,' said Lupin quietly, 'if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would."

Pettigrew whimpers that he had not harmed Harry or Vesper during the past thirteen years is proof that he's not a Death Eater however Black countered it as Pettigrew never harmed them because he would never risk acting on Voldemort's behalf unless he knew Voldemort could protect him.

Black mentioned that he kept his sanity in Azkaban by changing into a dog when things became unbearable. A dog's simpler thoughts are less affected by the Dementors than a human's. Dementors are blind and were unable to detect him transforming. Instead, they sense and navigate towards emotions. When Black recognised Pettigrew's Animagus form in the photograph, he vowed to expose the traitor. As a dog, he was able to evade the Dementors during his escape. He journeyed north to Hogwarts and lived in the Forbidden Forest, emerging to watch the Quidditch matches.

Harry is finally convinced that Black is innocent, and both he and his sister intervenes to protect their father's two best friends from becoming murderers; Pettigrew will be turned over to the Dementors. Black and Lupin relent, and Lupin binds Pettigrew , while Vesper splints Ron's leg and checks that Snape is still alive. Black warned Pettigrew that if he transforms, he will kill him. Lupin charms the unconscious Snape to float along with them. Black then suggests having two people chained to Pettigrew to prevent him escaping. Lupin and Ron volunteer, and Black, using Snape's wand, conjures manacles. With Crookshanks leading, they return to the tunnel.

\--LB---

Once outside Black wandered away looking up at the dark velvet cloudy sky like he couldn't believe it was there, Harry slid up besides him.

"You know what this means? Turning Pettigrew in?" Black suddenly spoke, glancing back at the group of people navigating the Willows tree trunk.

"You're free." Harry watched too.

"I don't know if anyone told you,Harry - I'm your godfather. Your sister got Remus, because your dad named her and you get me, because your mother named you."

"Yeah, I know that."

"Well . . . your parents appointed me your guardian. If anything happened to them . . . I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle. But . . . well . . . think about it. Once my name's cleared . . . if you wanted a . . . different home . . ."

"What - live with you?"

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to. I understand, I just thought I'd -"

"Are you insane? Of course I want to leave the Dursleys? Have you got a house? When can I move in?"

Black turned right around to look at him; Snape's body fell in a heap on the floor by the secret passageway but Black didn't seem to care.

'You want to?' he said. 'You mean it?'

'Yeah, I mean it!' said Harry.

Black's gaunt face broke into the first true smile Harry had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger were shining through the starved mask; for a moment, he was recognisable as the man who had laughed at Harry's parents' wedding.

"I expect you're tired of hearing this, but you look so like your father. Except your eyes. You have..."

" My mother's eyes."

"It's cruel that I got to spend so much time with James and Lily, and you so little. But know this; the ones that love us never really leave us. And you can always find them in here." Black puts his hand to Harry's heart.

The clouds above them parted for a long moment, the sliver moon giving an unearthly gleam to everything it touched.

"Harry!" yelled Hermione then she pointed to the full moon and its rays hit Remus. He had already started to change, becoming the wolf that he was. Vesper was busy cutting the binds that connected Remus to Pettigrew and Ron and pushing them away.

"Remus, did you not take your potion tonight?" asked Sirius as he ran over and held his friend "run!" he yelled over his shoulder to the teenagers. "You know the man you truly are, Remus! This heart is where you truly live! This heart! Here! This flesh is only flesh!" Just then he was thrown away from Remus into the undergrowth as he continued to change, howls echoing loudly into the night.

In the chaos Pettigrew drives for Lupins dropped wand, stuns Ron and Crookshanks and disappears as a rat into the grass.

Vesper heard her godfather's bones snap and crunch together to reform, she heard a loud rip and hoped to Merlin that it was his clothes and not his skin. She had never seen the transformation and she was thankful for that. The scene before her was a terrible one, she felt herself trembling, she was deaf to everything but the wails of pain coming from a loved one.

"Nice doggie.....nice doggie..." she heard Ron whimper behind her. She snaps her attention away from the werewolf still whimpering to her brothers and his friends. She had to protect them, she was their guardian now. With the adults indisposed that left her in charge of the three younger teens.

"Go! Back to the castle! Now!!" Vesper pushed them, helping them balance Ron between the two and looked back over her shoulder at her Godfather.

"What..." Harry started. Does this boy not understand the danger they are in?

"Harry go!" She says firmly, before she turn to see where the fully formed wolf was. Not sure what she would do but she had to make sure the young teens got into the castle, however she turned to see large yellow eyes and felt hot wet breath beating down onto her face.

He sniffed and growled at her as she remained perfectly still, mind completely blank. She was thankful the group was a good few paces behind her. The wolf just looked at her, its huge head level with hers, big amber eyes peering deep into hers. He lowered his head and nudged her shoulder lightly. She hoped that he had decided not to eat her, that would be really bad. She didn't want to be eaten and she knew Remus would never live with him self if his alter ego devour her.

 **This one smelt familiar, this one was pack**.

The werewolf's head snapped up as Snape appeared – conscious at last and covered in dust and cobwebs- out of the Willow and had Harry by his shirt, hissing and jerking the boy who was looking intently over his shoulder. Snape turned in fury and saw the werewolf standing before them, he held his arms out as if to protect the trio from the wolf. Vesper would have smiled if she wasn't so terrified.

Then several things happened at once. The werewolf snarled, brushed past Vesper knocking her to the unstable ground with unexpected force, then he leapt towards the four other humans only to be attract by a large black dog, which began pulling the wolf towards the forbidden forest.

Vespers head had hit the ground with a hard thud, and everything faded to black for her. Terrified screams and howls echoed in her ears.

\--//--//--//--//--

A raging roar woke Vesper Potter with a jolt, she was disoriented and everything sounded like it was underwater. She heard what sounded like Snape outside, shouting that Black could not have Disapparated because it is impossible inside the castle; someone must have freed him.

Slamming the infirmary doors open, he proclaims that Potter must somehow be involved. 

Dumbledore, arriving shortly after Snape and Fudge, states that Harry has been locked in the infirmary, and Madam Pomfrey verifies that no one has left. Snape, snarled a colourful curse then leaves. Fudge suggested quietly that Snape may be unbalanced, but Dumbledore muttered that he has simply suffered a great disappointment. When Dumbledore suggests removing the Dementors from Hogwarts, Fudge complies—if they tried to administer the Kiss to an innocent boy, then they are certainly unsafe.

Vesper felt a pull in her stomach, "boy?"  
_What boy_?  
Her mind ran to Harry.  
_Ron had been injured and Harry ?_  
Harry always seems to find danger.  
Tried.  
That means they didn't succeed, Harry was ok.

Her head hurt.  
She wanted to fall back into the numbing darkness but consciousness clung loosely around her, just keeping her awake.

Dumbledore and Fudge left and Madam Pomfrey relocked the door, returning to her office.

Ron wakes up, shortly after and he asks what happened; Harry asks Hermione to explain. Vesper opened her eyes and waited while the objects in to room swam in to focus. She groaned as she rolled her head to the side.

"Vesper?!" yelled three concerned voices she scrunched up her face as the sounds assaulted her head. Did they have to be so loud?

"I'll get Madam Pomfrey." Hissed Hermione as her foot steps echoed in the silenced room. Vesper struggled to sit up as Harry sat by her bed.

"How you feeling sis?" he asked tenderly, remembering the slither of blood down the side of her face when he had checked on her before running after Black to the lake. He had blamed her pale colour on the moon light as she looked a healthier shade now.

"Like I was hit by the Hogwarts express at full speed." She joked quietly "you?"

"Good, you know." He said slowly, not wanting to reveal everything right now.

"We thought you were a gonna. You just didn't wake up!" Ron said quickly from the other side of the room, his leg bandaged up.

"Jeez Thanks," she replied sarcastically rolling her eyes but that hurt "what happened, Harry?" she had to know.

"Well Lupin, -the werewolf- pushed you down we all heard the crack and thought he'd killed you." He said quietly, taking hold of her hand. He was sure he'd have nightmares about that. "Sirius dragged him off to the forbidden forest so we could escape, but I went after Sirius and we ended up with dementor's coming down on us, Sirius was about to die, and then there just went away, and I woke up here." He said in a rush, Vesper had to concentrate to hear what he said, he wasn't telling her everything they both knew that but for now it was enough.

"Oh. So to some it all up. Everyone's ok."

"Yeah, Sirius and Buckbeak escaped and Lupin is somewhere in the forest. But Wormtail got away." he whispered.

\--//--//--//--//--

The castle is nearly deserted when Vesper, Harry, Ron, and Hermione are released from the Hospital Wing the next day. It is another Hogsmeade weekend, but Ron and Hermione decide to stay at Hogwarts with Harry.

Vesper had managed to convince the Weasley twins to go to the village with out her as her head still hurt. She also wanted to check on her godfather, knowing that he would feel awful if he knew what happened last night.

The four parted as the trio went to relax by the lake, where they were met by Hagrid, who reported that Buckbeak had escaped. The Trio pretend to be surprise. Hagrid also says that Snape told the Slytherins that Professor Lupin is a Werewolf, and Lupin has resigned.

 --//--//--//--//-- 

" Remus?" Vesper asked softly standing at the door way to his office, seeing everything in the early stages of packing. By now everyone who had a child at Hogwarts would know he was a werewolf, Snape had been very forthcoming with that information.

Vesper, once she had finished cursing his family line, had seriously considered some nasty hexes or putting never ending bubble soap in his caldron.

"In here, Ves'." Came a quiet voice, she looked around to see him, looking scarred and beaten, she notices that he was using his walking stick again today. She smiled sadly,

"You're leaving." It wasn't a question, she knew that and so did he. He just nodded the same smile on his face. She walked across the room to him, and hugged him. Her head buried in his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, placing his chin on her hair. They held each other tightly, both shutting their eyes.

The familiar sent of books, chocolate and the wild conformed her.

"Can you ever forgive me?" he asked quietly as she looked up at him.

"There is nothing to forgive, you did nothing."

"but I could have, I'm dangerous, I could have..."

"Remmy, if you keep with the what ifs and I could haves, you'll never see what's right in front of you. You didn't attack me, you didn't even try to, and you simply by passed me. So if you're going to become all miserable over what ifs then I'll... I'll steal all of your chocolate." She could feel the tears in her eyes but her jaw was set in determination.

Remus wiped the once that flowed down her cheeks away, and held her close.

"Your so like your mother, always putting others first." He hugged his only solid hold on the world and kissed her forehead. She was defiantly more than just a Goddaughter to him, more like a daughter that he really shouldn't have, shouldn't deserve, he was constantly putting her in danger just by being near her. He loved her.

There was a knock at the door, both Vesper and Remus turned to see Cedric looking a bit nervous. He must have come back from Hogsmeade early. The family broke apart.

"Yes Mr Diggory?" ask Remus in teacher mode. Vesper stifle a smile.

"Erm, sorry, I just wanted to talk to Vesper." He said his eyes flickering from Remus to Vesper and her watery eyes. Remus looked at her and she nodded.

"Sure, see you later Remus," she said as she walk back out the door, a sad smile on her face guessing what Cedric would want. Who would want to date someone who grew up under the care of a werewolf?

\----//--//--//--//---

Harry found Lupin in his office, where nearly everything is packed. Lupin said he was unable to stay—too many parents would object to a Werewolf teaching their children. He then asks about the previous night's events, especially Harry's Patronus. He says that Harry is correct, that James transformed into a stag, hence his nickname "Prongs." Lupin returns the Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map to Harry, saying James would have been disappointed if Harry had not found any of the secret passages. He asked who gave him the map. Harry reluctantly admits that it was Vesper and the Twins. Lupin suppressed a grin, he was going to have a long talk to his goddaughter when he sees her again.

\--//--//--//--//--

Once they were far enough away from the office, Cedric stopped, and turned to Vesper, seeing the unshed tears in her eyes.

"Why were you crying?" he asked his voice was soft.

"You're breaking up with me aren't you," her voice was softer then usual as she looked at the floor so he wouldn't see the silent tears as there made there way down her face.

"Why would you say that?" he asked with the same soft voice as before.

"my God father's is a werewolf." She was having difficulty controlling her voice, she pressed her lips together.

"Yeah," He took hold of her chin and brings her face up to look at him, not being able to see it was difficult for him. "But I –I love you, and I don't care what your families like." He let go of her chin. He may not have notice it but it was the first time he said he love her, to her. "Are you a werewolf?" He looked away a bit ashamed that he asked.

"Would it make any difference, too you?" he looked back at her and saw fiery anger flicker in her sweet voice and her eyes.

"No! I-I just wondered if I had to tie you up once a month or not." He smile was small and sheepish but grew when her eyes soften and the corner of her mouth twitched upwards.

"So I still, if you still?" She asked she looked down again unsure of his answer. Her heart was beating so hard she was sure her whole chest was moving in time with it.

"Oh I still, I very still." He smiled as she did and he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly and kissed her wet cheek.

\--//--//--//--//--

Marks came out at the end of the term, and Harry was amazed: he had passed everything, even Potions. Ron and Hermione also passes everything. Percy has his top-grade NEWTs, while the Twins have each managed to scrape a handful of OWLs, whereas Vesper had passed everything getting either Os or Es. Gryffindor wins the House Cup for the third straight year, largely from winning the Quidditch Cup.

  
\--//--//--//--//--

  
On the Hogwarts Express, Hermione told Ron and Harry that she has dropped Muggle Studies. With that and Divination off her schedule, she no longer needs the Time-turner and has returned it to Professor McGonagall. Ron suggested Harry might like to come to the Quidditch World Cup. His dad is usually able to get tickets.

Hermione spotted something small flying outside of the window. Harry reached out and grabs a tiny Scops owl carrying a message far too big for it. It was from Black, who writes that he is safe, and it was he who sent Harry the Firebolt for Christmas. Crookshanks carried the message to the Owl Office for him. Enclosed is a signed Hogsmeade permission form for Harry and because Black was part of the reason in losing Ron's rat, the little owl is his to keep. Ron held the owl up to Crookshanks and asks if it is real. Crookshanks purred, so Ron claims him.

Vesper and the twins sat with Lee Jordon were in their own cabin discuss the up coming summer and Vesper carefully lets slip that they had been tort by a Marauder for a year. The boys were beside themselves. Ganging up on her for information. She had never been so happy to see Kings Cross Station appearing out of the mist.

She had stopped a few moments when she found Harry and hugged him tightly, informing him that they must write and that he was getting too tall. She ruffled his messy hair and disappeared into the crowd. Harry wonders where she will go and why she appeared to have a handful of owl nuts in her jacket pocket. He had long believed she didn't own an owl.

As he meets his uncle at King's Cross Station, Harry tells him that he has met his godfather, Sirius Black, who is a wizard and a convicted murderer. Since Sirius is at large, and very interested in Harry's well-being, Harry expects that the Dursleys will be treating him with a little more respect this summer.

 


End file.
